Greek civil service union launches 2-day strike

By Associated Press
| 2:05 a.m.March 19, 2014

A protester with the Greek flag on his hat, smokes a cigar during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitments. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
The Associated Press

A protester with the Greek flag on his hat, smokes a cigar during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitments. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

A protester stands by the shuttered front of a hotel during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitment.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)The Associated Press

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A protester stands by the shuttered front of a hotel during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitment.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A loudspeaker is seen in front of the Greek Parliament during a rally by members of pro-communist union PAME, in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitment.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)The Associated Press

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A loudspeaker is seen in front of the Greek Parliament during a rally by members of pro-communist union PAME, in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitment.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

A protester shouts slogans from behind a banner during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitments. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)The Associated Press

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A protester shouts slogans from behind a banner during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitments. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Protesters chant anti- austerity slogans during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitment.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)The Associated Press

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Protesters chant anti- austerity slogans during a rally in Athens, on Wednesday, March 19, 2014. Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitment.(AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek civil servants, including hospital and teaching staff, have started a two-day strike against austerity measures imposed under the debt-mired country's international bailout commitments.

Some 3,000 union members held a peaceful demonstration in central Athens Wednesday.

Greece's Adedy umbrella public sector union has accused the conservative-led government of taking too passive a stance in its latest round of negotiations with bailout creditors, which concluded on Monday. Unionists are also angry at cost-saving plans to sack thousands of public sector workers.

The country has depended on money from other European countries and the International Monetary Fund since mid-2010. The payment of the rescue loans depends on Athens meeting a range of budget targets and enacting economic reforms.